Apple HomePod's release delayed until 2018

The HomePod, Apple's Siri-powered smart speaker, won't be released until next year, Apple said Friday.

"We can't wait for people to experience HomePod, Apple's breakthrough wireless speaker for the home, but we need a little more time before it's ready for our customers," an Apple spokesperson toldCNET. "We'll start shipping in the US, UK, and Australia in early 2018."

The device was slated for release this December, already leaving Apple as a latecomer to the smart speaker market. The first Amazon Echo speaker was rolled out in 2014, and Echo products now dominate the home assistant market. The Google Home device takes about a quarter of the market after its introduction in late 2016.

Apple unveiled the HomePod at its Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC) in San Jose, Calif., in June.

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